Little Falls transcript., 1887-03-04
lyIApDENED RY BLOOD.


3The UnfortunstsA Adventure Of Two Hunt
ers In Northwestern dlnnesata.*
Two Of "a had been hunting at Red Lake
river, Northwestern Minns sofa for several
weeks in November and december OF the
year 1873, when the unfortunate adventure
purpose to relate occurre,i /, said an old
hunter to a New York Sur representative
not long ago. We had Duilt us a good
stout 'shanty in the woods, and had made !
all calculations to remain in that locality
until spring. Ny :compaaio1 was Walter
Zane, and he was much the larger and
older of the two. $s} t.-Ss 4. s
Snow came about the 10th Of November, l
and came deep "A little was added to it
almost daily until the first week in .Dacem-,
Der, when the quantity was so great that
we could scarcely move about We had
tive mules with US, and these were always.
secured at night in a rough pen built
against the cabin. We had trapped or shot
several wolves and though we knew they
were about US in great numbers, we had
40 fear Of them until the deep snow came
on. Tbs weather held cold and there was
no show for q crust to form, and as nothing
could move about, all animals of prey,
must have been put to it to secure suf-
icient food to sustain life. One morn
ing we awoke to find warm sun, AMI
south wind melting the snow and settling
it down, but as night came on the wind
changed, the temperature fell, and we
knew that next morning would find crust
on the. snow strong enough to bear us up.
Such turned out to be nthe case. The
snow was more solidly packed, and its sur
face was so slippery that I'VE could go any
where on our ice skates. l weighed only
12O pounds, and could move with safety.
Zane weighed 1856 pounds, and there were
places where he would break through.
We knew that game of all kinds would
| now be astir, and that it we could start
up q deer his career would be short, and
we made every thing snug at the cabin,
and were of as soon as breakfast had been
| dispatched. We had some traps with us
to set, and some already in position to look
after, and it came noon before we realized
| it. We then had several fresh pelts with
| US and were about three miles from the
| cabin. In the open places, where the snow
had melted most, the crust was all right
and Zane had no trouble, but in the shelter
Of the trees, or at the bases of hills, he
would break through every few yards, and
the. falls were not always a laughing mat
ter Several times we caught sight of
wolves, but they We're out of range and
|
Ing our luncheon we proceeded down the
river in hopes to rouse up deer. Along
! the stream on our side was strip of
! timber about forty rods wide, and we
| felt certain that it afforded cover to
| all sorts of game. / could go any
where through the woods, but Zane was
obliged to keep on the southern skirts.
We had not gone over half a mile when
reused up big buck, and as he went of,
! breaking through the crust at every leap,
I got q snap shot and missed 1t however,
turned his course, and gave Zane chance,
and after q minute or two heard the re-
port of his riff TINS was followed by a
shout for help, and / reached him to find
that he had met with a bad accident. He
was making ready to fire at the deer when
the snow crust broke under him and gave
him fall The rife was discharged as ne
went down, and the bullet entered his
right leg, just below the knee, and prob
ably imbelded itself in the bone. After a
bandage was on, also applied tourni-
Quet and then he said:
j" You have hard job before you to get
me to camp. You must coDtrive some sort
OF a sled.''
This l could not do without going tC
camp for the axe and some ropes l got
him in as comfortable position as posi-
BILE, and then hurried off, and in less than
an t. ur after I started / was back again
with the axe, ropes and a couple Of blank
Its. l cut two .saplings with proper
crook or bow to them, lashcd on some
cross pieces, and then peeled some bark te
make a deck When the blankets had
been spread on top of this, my work was
DONE had drawn Zane forty or fifty
feet from the spot where the accident oc-
Cured, and was fixing him in position tt
ride easily, VIII IL five great wolves sud
denly appeare'' from I could not Say
where, and began licking the blood Off the
snow, meanwhile growing and fighting il
tho most sayag manner. They were of
. light-gray col.r, Of good size, and hae
sneal1ed up while I was busy with tn,
wounded man. was astonished for tn
moment, but felt no alarm until Zane
:. seeming to make great effort to contro
the bodily pain and mental excitement
said:
'Start for the cabin at once, and mind n
. more about me. can hang on some way
while we shall be attacked if we sta
here"
moved off at once, and as soon as tn
sledge was fairly under way Imoved YER
, fast. but had not gone one-third Of tn
di tance to our cabin before seventeen
wolves, formed in crescent shape, cam
tearing after us. They had open ground t
; maneuver on, and l saw that the objec
was to- encircle u.s. will say this much i
, my own defense, for it is only justice, tha
l was not a bit ratified, perhaps not reali5
ing the full danger. l supposed that
shot or two would scatter the beasts, bu
, l was not yet ready to halt and delive
:, them when the sledge, with its heavy loac
| Ir,oty in ha CT T
jerlxed on my back Iscramblea up to tin
the wolves in a circle around us, and nc
! over thirty feet away, and now l saw b
- their looks and actions that we were i
deadly peril. Zane must have realize
=. this sooner than did, but the calmness {
: despair made his voice steady rs he said
a >''Open fire as quick and as fast as 20
n can, for they mean to attack u.s.;
r had Wint hester, and / began to po
q away as fast as I could work the gun.
:. dropped three wolves and wounded
/ fourth. and then they rushed in on IL
I Just what occurred for the next twent
. seconds I can not clearly remem Der.
,. wolf must have sprung at me from behint
!. 1 for was knocked down. | got up an
,, struck two or three with my gun, made
p dash through an opening, and one glan<
!. showed me that the whole pack was clim
!. ing over Zane and tearing him to pieces.
!. don't remember that he Uttered a cry
shout Or groan. stood like one dazed fl
a few seconds, aud then dashed away fl
the cabin and heard the howls of fres
: wolves coming up I was pursued, and
q reached the hut and closed tho door
a dozen wolves came against 1t, but W,
3 safe. Anathat night was besieged, Il
!. wolves seeming to number a hundred !,
more, but their efforts to get at me or Il
3. mules We're unsuccessful, and next ds
q they disappeared, nor did they gath